Partners
by kodiakkemaxx
Summary: "I know what's she done, what she's sacrificed. Like her, I've taken a stand for unpopular convictions. I too have been cast out of the rank and file. But I was not alone – something I have come to see as a true blessing. You – you shut her out. You all closed ranks behind her, and you – of all people – should have been beside her... She's not alone anymore. I'm here now."


A/N: These characters are not mine, and no rights are claimed. I just want to use them to share the fun of the characters, while the show finds its footing and hopefully gets more fans so it's not cancelled. This is a one-shot taking place after 1x05. Uploaded and complete. Thank you to those who provided feedback on my previous Lucifer fic! I appreciate all the kind words.

P.S. I really do like Dan, honest! But when this scene came to me, it was too good not to pursue. 

* * *

When the devil was angry, he burned. Since his Father didn't sentence him to solitude, however, he didn't burn alone. Lucifer decided it was time someone else felt a little bit of the heat. 

* * *

Dan saw him coming; Lucifer intended that he did, and made no effort to hide his entrance into the cop bar.

"Pretty sure your name's not on the list," the cop said, putting down his beer.

"I'm pretty sure the list in this place was used as toilet paper long ago," Lucifer replied, snagging the open barstool next to him. It was still fairly early, and the Paddock wasn't crowded. "I see Mr. Pelluci isn't here today. How's he healing, by the way?"

"I wouldn't ask that too loudly. People might remember you."

"Aww, bless your heart, you are too kind, worried about me." Lucifer smiled at the bartender, who despite herself smiled back. "Bourbon, my dear. Your best, such as it is here."

"I'm not worried about _you_."

"The first intelligent thing you've said to me today. Good start! Let's hope the streak continues." He gave the woman another smile, to seal the deal.

Dan sighed and took a swig of his beer. "And so it starts. The comments. The subtle insults."

"Subtle? Oh dear, I must be losing my touch."

"Can we just get this over with? What are you doing here? Seeing how the other side drinks? Slumming with the rest of us down here in the gutter?"

"You've no idea the depths to which I've fallen." The bourbon came, and Lucifer knew that it was sans spit, although the woman had felt the urge. But of course she couldn't, because she was a sinner, and he owned her. "This place here?" Raising his glass, he gestured about them. "Mere entertainment."

"Gotta wonder why you bother with us mere mortals, then."

"Occasionally one or two of you surprise me." Lucifer sipped his bourbon; winced at the raw bite. "Of course that's rare, perhaps once every millennium or so, but I do enjoy it when it happens." He turned in the stool, looked around the bar. "Well, one can always hope."

"I'm surprised to see you here," Dan said, and immediately looked surprised that the words had actually come out, so he hurried to chase them with something stronger. "I would have thought you'd avoid this place."

"Why? Because they do light pours and overcharge anyone who's not a boy in blue?" Lucifer smiled at the guy sitting next to Dan, who turned around at that. Kept smiling until the man reconsidered, turned back to his own drink and conversation. "Or is it because you're surrounded by your own kind, reveling in the facade of being impregnable in this pathetic cesspool?"

"Watch yourself. You're not protected by Lieutenant Monroe, here."

"Hah! I'm not afraid of danger; in fact I welcome a little chaos in my life. Makes it fun."

"Fun. You mean like you think police work is _fun_."

"Oh, no, that's deadly dull and boring. Much better left to people like you."

"Now you start with the compliments." Dan took a deep breath. "Like me?"

Lucifer leaned forward, as close as he and Dan had been at Lux. "Like you. No …. Spark."

The cop's eyes flashed, and his knuckles whitened around his beer bottle, but Lucifer had to give it to the man, he didn't do more than take another deep breath, let it out through closed teeth. "So this is about Chloe."

"Of course it's about Chloe!" His laughter practically bounced off the back of the bar and echoed at them, and more heads turned to them, and Lucifer grinned around the room, sharing his joy with those at large. "It could never be about you. You're – well, you're _you_."

"I don't know if she's made it clear to you, Mr. Morningstar." Dan's words gritted out as though the man was ransoming off each syllable. "We're separated, not divorced."

"Not yet," Lucifer smiled, and took another sip of the bourbon. When expected, the bite was welcome. He was definitely in a mood to bite back.

Dan twisted now in his stool, faced him fully. "Are you going to try to do something about that?" He lowered his beer bottle deliberately, calmly placing it on the bar top. "Is that what this is about? You're telling me you're going to try to take her away from me?"

"Take her? Why certainly, detective, I'd love to _take_ her." Lucifer enjoyed the look in the other's eyes; if looks could kill devils, he'd be barbecue by now. "However, much as I enjoy these modern times, it's a pity about women's emancipation. Take the good with the bad, I guess. Can't just purchase women off the streets without consequences, but you do have fantastic amateur porn; you don't even have to pay for it." He sighed. "I digress. You keep using this word, 'try'. I don't think it means what you think it means, because you speak as though she's not already gone."

"We're only separated."

"By a gulf, Detective. One that looms at your feet even as we speak. Don't deny it. Don't lie to me, of all people."

"Of all—" Dan stared at him, nostrils flaring and fists clenching, and the angry tones in his voice carried to those around them, and eyes came up, stayed up, on them. The cop didn't notice, stewing as he was in his cesspool of resentment and hate. "Stay out of her life, creep. She doesn't need people like you."

"Oh, and she needs people like you?" Lucifer snorted, had another taste of the bourbon. It bit less now; he bit more. "Heaven save her from people _like_ _you_."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You try and use emotion as punishment to stifle her. Control her."

"Get the fuck out of here, man. Right now."

"Not before I've done what I came here to do, Detective." Lucifer smiled at him. "When you came to Lux the other night, you gave me some marching orders. Remember them? Do you remember what you said? Well, I've come here to tell you that I've accepted them." He stood, saluted. "I'll take care of her, yes sir."

Dan started. "That's not what I meant. That was just the case. You're nothing."

Lucifer raised his voice slightly so that it would carry to those around them. "I would beg to differ, but I prefer it when others beg."

The cop flushed, lowered his own voice. "You – you're nothing. I'm the one that's there for her."

"Are you? That's odd, Detective. I've been so _very_ close to her these past few weeks, practically her shadow, and I can't see any evidence of you being there for her. In fact, I see exactly the opposite."

"I don't get her into danger!"

"Ah, you keep going on about that part. Haven't you seen her right cross? It's frankly impressive for one her size. Must be her training. Or her peak physical conditioning. Odd that you never noticed it. I guess you never really pushed her buttons. But that's not the point."

"What … exactly is your point?"

"Have you ever asked her if she wants you to keep her out of danger? Have you ever recognized that she can protect herself, certainly against most of the godforsaken miscreants you breed in this city?"

"She's my wife!"

"Was. And … this is just a guess, mind you, but since I'm so very good at these games ... I don't think you ever asked her what she wanted. If she wanted you to protect her … or just defend her. From you, and people like you. People who simply don't have her back. Don't believe in her, like partners do." Lucifer smiled, laid a heavy hand across Dan's shoulders in front of the watching crowd, _leaned_ on him. The other man stood still, quivering under his touch. "Odd, how two married men are considered partners, but a man married to a woman is her husband, and she his wife. How antiquated the language, no?" He shook his head ruefully. "I'm assisting her now, detective. I'm _assigned_ to her. I want you to consider, as we go and close cases, that I do trust her instincts. You don't," he purred, "and you never did. You wanted her to close Delilah's case as quickly as possible, and without incident. As we both know, I'm not afraid of incidents. I'm after the truth, and justice, and punishing those who deserve it. I'm not here to make friends. Case in point." He waved around the bar. "You're here, in this bar. Drinking among these people. Your people, in fact. All cops. Yet she hated coming in here. She knows she's not wanted. _You_ never made her feel wanted."

"That's—" Dan choked. "That's quite a stretch."

"Is it?" Lucifer let that last linger a moment in the suddenly hot, fetid air as he took a last swig of the bourbon, clicked the empty glass down in front of the stiff cop. "You could have stood up for her in the Palmetto case. You could have stood _with_ her. But instead, you're in here drinking. She's not. She's no longer one of you – assuming she ever was."

Dan finally fought free of his touch, whirled around and rose from the stool. "You wanna talk about not being one of us? Let's talk about you, Lucifer. How you're just playing with her." His voice rose, and the men closest to them looked over, stared, braced for action. "You don't really want her. You have options. You're surrounded by hot models, singers, celebrities, all throwing themselves at you every night. We both know you're not going to settle for Chloe, so don't stand here and give me this sanctimonious bullshit about how you're going to be there for her."

"Settle for? Detective Douche, is that how you saw your relationship with her? As _settling_? The way you blather on, I'm surprised you still want her. Her value must have decreased even further with that new bullet scar on her shoulder." He chuckled, and at the noise, the people closest to them leaned back, looked back at their drinks. "No wonder you let her slip from your ring finger, with talk like that. If you cannot see how unique she is, then there's practically no use talking to you."

"It doesn't matter what you think. We have a past. We have things between us you can't take away. She's the mother of my child."

"And so much more. Do you even see that? Do you see her at all? Or is she just a problem to work around, a sore spot to hide away so you can still sit here among the cool crowd?"

Dan made to turn away. "Whatever, man. We both know she's nothing to a guy like you."

"I understand her. I know what's she done, what she's sacrificed. Like her, I've taken a stand for unpopular convictions. I too have been cast out of the rank and file. But I was not alone – something I have come to see as a true blessing. You – you shut her out. You all closed ranks behind her, and you – of _all_ people – should have been beside her." He took a deep breath, tamped down his anger. "She's not alone anymore. I'm here now."

Dan's shoulder bunched, and he came around fast, his fists raised. "Fuck you, man. I'm going to get you, I swear. I'm going to find your weak spot. I'm going to come after you—"

Lucifer smiled, reached out with one hand to catch that raised fist, stop it so completely that Dan could only gape at him. Those around them saw only that he was loose, relaxed, and Dan's hand drifted down underneath his. "You want threats, Detective?" He leaned down, dropped his voice so no one could hear the brimstone in his voice, two guys just sharing some private words, keeping it under wraps. "Just try me. Because I will see you _burn_."

He waited a moment, but there was no response, just a momentary flash of fear, and then the cop was back, angry and afraid. Well, angry was good. Afraid was better, and honest was the best of all.

"You are part of her past," he breathed. "Now I'm here, and I found her. I trust her. I do. But I myself am new in town. I'm still learning the ropes. Now that you brought it to my attention, I'll try to keep her out of trouble. Well, more than she can get into herself. Because that's what partners do. " He patted an unresisting Dan on the shoulder, and couldn't resist one last echo. "No, don't get up. You don't have to say anything. I don't want your thanks, because I don't do favors for guys like you. I'm doing this for Chloe." 

* * *

He stepped out into the cool air, breathed deep of the city. "You can come out now, Maze."

She detached herself, a shadow from the darkness by the door. "You've lost all sense of self-preservation, haven't you?"

He set off briskly, and she fell into step beside him. "Danger, Maze. I told you, it's my new drug."

"You used to be the dealer. Now you're the addict."

"Lead me not into temptation; I paved the road for all others." He shrugged off her low tones. "Come on, Maze! Isn't this exciting? I'm practically evolving."

"Evolving?" Her voice pitched in momentary hysteria. "Do you even listen to yourself? You're falling even further. I didn't think it was possible."

"'More things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in our philosophy.' You notice there's no mention of hell."

"They lacked imagination," she grumped.

"That's where we come in. If you don't think that man isn't going to flay himself with his own thoughts, torment himself with my words, tonight and every night for weeks ahead…." Lucifer chuckled. "Oh, Maze. I may be changing, but I still enjoy punishing people. In fact," he considered slowly, "you might consider what more I might do, how much more creative I can get, when I'm so personally involved."

"You're personally involved, all right." Her mutter was meant to be heard.

"Also," Lucifer grinned in sudden afterthought, "he'll have to pay for my drink."

"Seriously? The bar for eternal damnation seems to be set lower than usual."

"My dear, haven't you heard? The devil's in the details." He lengthened his stride. "And this particular devil is going to make sure of that."

They swept down the sidewalk, walking in between the pools of light cast by signs and streetlights as the dusk gathered them close. People naturally, unthinkingly, moved out of their way.

"It's going to be a beautiful evening," he whispered. "Let's go see what other fun we can find tonight."

-Fin


End file.
